Topic: Disappearing(Pt.II) -- The Pendant

Rayvinn

Date: 2011-11-09 21:42 EST
Many thanks to the player of Corlanthis for assistance with this portion of the storyline!

July 31st


If one was hoping to catch Cor in the middle of the night, the absolute best way would be to put yourself in his company earlier in the day. If that wasn't an option, however, one was limited to finding oneself in danger (Driving at breakneck speeds through the Marketplace. Check!) or doing something that stood out in the normally less fast-paced hours of the deep night. (Driving a motorcycle through the marketplace at breakneck speed. Check again!)

Cor caught wind of the motorcycle's passage as he hid in the protective lee of a sloping roof, and with his interest perked, he decided to follow along via rooftop. Nothing but silence to make the passage of his nondescript black cloak save for the faint shimmer of crimson fireflies trailing in the air as he lept from one roof to the next, silent as a cat. Stealth was his ally in these late night escapades. He didn't recognize the vehicle. Nor the rider, dressed as concealing as they were. But as their path continued into more familiar territory, his curiosity only grew - especially as they neared his home.

The Ducati was ridden right up to the front porch, kickstand was dropped as the bike was parked a few feet from the front door. One long leather clad leg was lifted over the bike and dropped as she removed her helmet, giving a slow shake of her head to unfurl that mass of hip length waves from their confinement.

Gloved hand opened the unlocked front door of Cor's house and she stepped right on through as if she owned the place. Cor would realize immediately who was walking into his house; not only for her appearance, if he could see her, but because no one was able to just walk through his wards without the pendant.

Rayvinn was aware of Cor's late night absences from when she lived here, under his protection, so she fully expected to leave the backpack and a note and be on her way. She figured Mercedes would be in her old room but she was human and Raye doubted very much that she would hear her downstairs.

The backpack was tossed upon the kitchen counter as she fished around one of the kitchen drawers to find a scrap of paper and a pen. She refused to allow herself to look around and fall victim to that rush of emotion again. It was better this way. She couldn't trust herself to say good-bye to Cor, he was probably the best friend she had and she would miss him, regardless of how the two of them carried on.

She began writing her note to him then scribbled it out and began again. After several attempts she finally stopped trying to write, closed her eyes and allowed her mind to wander as if doing this might help her figure out what to say.

Cor had watched the bike near his home, watched still as the figure had gotten off. And continued watching - and admiring as the newly revealed "she" shook her hair out. He might have even grinned a little. But as the figure neared his door, he tensed. Mercedes was still inside after all - or at least he thought she was. But then the figure slipped right inside with nary a bump at the wards and Cor began to get a growing suspicion as to the identity of his late night visitor.

Once she was inside, he vaulted off the roof with enough force to send some shingles crashing to the grass below, arcing silently through the air to end with a light thump next to her motorcycle. Did she hear it inside? It was possible. He was trying to keep quiet, but it was impossible to muffle all the noise of such a descent. He moved up to the door frame now and paused in the doorway.

Raye was now fully revealed to him and he stood watching her shuffle around his kitchen, he didn't make any noise - the silence seemed important and simply continued to watch with his arms folded beneath his cloak until she turned back to the door and noticed him.

Raye could hear the faint noise outside, not only because of her sensitive elven hearing but also because of her heightened sense of danger. However, she didn't worry over it as she had learned long ago, when she lived here for protection from Gage; nothing was coming through those wards.

After she had allowed her thoughts to wander for a few moments, she opened her eyes and just as she was about to begin on the letter again, she looked up and into the emerald gaze of he whom she didn't want to encounter. Her posture straightened and she continued to look at him, not saying anything for several moments as she swallowed a few times, clenched and unclenched her jaw and finally opened her mouth to speak.

Her words were delivered with a softness of voice that could be called delicate, though that might be a surprise coming from her. Though, he might remember other times, what felt like a lifetime prior when she was of a similar disposition. (s) "I was just leaving you a letter."

He had watched her write it of course, and as she spoke, he nodded slowly, eyes flickering towards the mentioned missive before moving back to Raye's face and lingering there.

He kept his tone quiet. Soft. as well. Whether in reply to her own voice, or some other urge could not be said. "I saw. It's an important letter? You could not trust it to a courier?" But then the more usual flavor of Cor's humor rose to the surface and he flashed her a quick upturn of his lips. "I don't usually receive the post at this hour . . .you might come back by mid-morning?"

He pushed off from the door frame, taking slow, purposeful steps further into his house until he was a few steps from the kitchen counter at which she'd been writing. His brows had furrowed in concern and he gestured back at the motorcycle with his chin before looking back at her. "What's this all about?"

Rayvinn

Date: 2011-11-09 22:19 EST
She swallowed once more and opened her mouth to speak only to find that she couldn't. Clearing her throat, she simply nodded as she slid the half scribbled out letter towards herself and out of his line of sight. A crooked grin was affixed upon her features, though it didn't reach those pale jade hues that were still focused upon him as he moved closer to where she stood.

After several attempts, she finally found her voice to reply to his concerned inquiry. "I'm...go-going on a little trip. I need a favor and there is no one else that I can trust with this matter. Will you help me?" She half held her breath as she awaited his reaction.Normally, it was a lecture or something explosive such as the night they got into the fight at the Inn. She could look back on that and almost laugh now. The bond they forged from that incident wouldn't be traded for anything.

Whether it was the light, or the angle of the paper, or simply the fact that Cor hadn't taken his eyes from the Elf after nearing her, he had not managed to read those crossed out lines. Not that the thought wouldn't occur to him later, but at the moment it wasn't yet intruding.

He flicked up a single corner of his mouth, offering her the half smile and a waggle of his eyebrows. "That favor had better be to keep you company and entertain you while we're out in parts unknown. Because I'm certain you're here to ask me to come with, right?"

A fuller smile now as his eyes twinkled, but then his expression smoothed out into seriousness and he nodded slowly. "Of course, anything I can do to aid you, you have only to ask." She was entirely right that
there was a bond between them, and that meant that if she was in need, he'd do all he could to help her.

Her forced grin widened just a little, as for an instant she had been able to slip away from the hell that she would be walking into very soon. "Next time, I promise," she lied, "if you don't forget." It was a necessary lie, and she had not been above doing so in the past when she felt it necessary.

If he found out she wouldn't be returning and what she planned, there probably wouldn't be any force strong enough to hold him back...she had learned something of this about him in the not so distant past. Stubborn jackass.

Her expression grew serious as she tossed the backpack at him, inside was the rough equivalent of ten million dollars in gems. "I need you to find someone you trust to exchange this for gold. Find a way that it won't ever be linked back to either of us. Should be around ten million in there but exchange rates vary with different bankers. I might need this someday so can you do this and keep it safe for me?"

Her gloved hand was raised to rub at her temple lightly. Another forced grin, "If for some reason I forget to come back...the money is yours, Cor." A soft laugh was given to lend weight to the joking aspect of that statement because she certainly didn't want him to grow suspicious but she also wanted him to know he had permission to use the money when she didn't return. Laughingly, "you can start a real halfway house for strays." If only she knew now what that flippant little joke would mean in times to come.


Cor caught the backpack in one fist, then nearly dropped it,not having thought much about how much that might actually weight. He fumbled for a moment before grabbing it securely in both fists before glancing back up at her with a hastily covered sheepish expression. A nod. "I know a fellow, a few Nexus hops out. It won't be able to be traced back here. When you get back, it'll be waiting."

A light shade of bemusement was currently tickling his features. He might not live in the lap of luxury, but that was a choice, not a necessity. Maybe he'd give the money to Reap or Baker if she didn't come back. But that was silly, of course she would. Still, just best to do as she asked and keep it safe. Which in this case meant going over to a closet door and tossing the backpack inside. Once shut, a knuckle was rapped against the wood and the door hummed for a moment before quieting.

Then he was turning to lean back against it before looking to Raye once again. "So, I'm thinking that asking you how long you might be is probably not gonna achieve much. In which case, I've got a few things to tell you about that pendant around your neck.. Might just lend you a hand or two where I cannot."

Raye arched a delicate brow as she watched Cor toss the backpack, the ten million dollars worth of gems, into a closet. Had anyone else done such a thing, she most definitely would have sought out a new source for her less than legal money changing. This was Cor, however, and he had been entrusted with her life on occasion so therefore could be trusted with the money. She hoped.

The smile upon her face froze in place when he mentioned not asking how long she would be gone, she had been fairly certain there was going to be a fight, afterall. Head was canted ever so slightly and her gaze narrowed a little as she scrutinized him. Very softly, "No, I don't suppose it would achieve much to ask..." She awaited the fit that never came and then visibly relaxed. "Alright, you have my attention. I am always grateful for your assistance."

Rayvinn

Date: 2011-11-09 22:25 EST
There was no need to have a fight. She was a big girl and she was no longer under his protection. If she said she needed to leave for parts unknown, he would respect her unspoken reasons for doing so. But, that did not mean he would not aid her. He chuckled under his breath, his chest shaking with muted amusement as she answered his question. Then he was nodding and lifting a hand to gesture at the pendant.

"It does quite a bit more than just allow you through my wards. It's a little concentrated portion of my power, you see. That's why the wards let it though, they recognize it as familiar. With a little concentration on your part you can use it to find other concentrations of my energy. Like my home, or Omelette's O'plenty. Or even me, I suppose." He pursed his lips into a flat line as he thought, then nodded slowly. "I think, I can probably charge it up and give it a little extra umph for some other tricks. You won't be shooting death beams or anything with it. But I can probably tweak it to give you a personal shield. You probably wouldn't get more than maybe half-an-hour's use out of it, so try to use it sparingly. And I doubt it'd be strong enough to protect really powerful attacks. But it should stop more normal stuff like arrows and small arms fire."

Cor pushed off from the closet door, closing the distance between Raye and himself as one of his hands slowly reached out towards the pendant. A slight glow was already beginning to form around his hand.

Her gloved hand lifted to touch the pendant as he divulged its various powers. Though she had no plan to return, it was still comforting to know she could always find her way back. The usefulness of this pendant increased considerably as he spoke of a personal shield. Already, she was formulating various plans and weighing the options for how to best use this.The General had overtaken an hour prior, so all things not related to strategy and survival were filed away for later use. Not to say that Raye wasn't paying attention, because she was very obviously listening to him and most definitely watching that glowing red hand as it neared her body.


Rayvinn didn't trust magic or most of what she didn't understand. She did, however, have a morbid curiosity and glowing red hands definitely required further investigation. "What exactly is it that you are doing there, Corkins?" She tried to keep her voice devoid of suspicion, because really, she knew Cor wouldn't harm her. Glowing red hands, though...it was too much for her and she took a little step back, both inky brows arched heavenward.


He paused a step as he watched her move back, blinking slightly. Then he shook his head and flashed her a quick smile. "Nothing to be afraid of. I just needed to touch the pendant. . ." And then he was moving towards her again. The soft glow coming from his hand cast it's light upon Raye's shirt, illuminating both of their faces as he reached forward and hooked his fingers under the chain of the necklace into which the pendant was set. Raye would feel a light tickling sensation, something almost akin to a faint static shock as his fingers brushed the skin of her neck, then he was drawing the pendant upward until it slipped free from beneath her shirt.

There was a quick, fleeting pause as Cor being Cor, gave Raye a terribly indecent wink, before returning to the task at hand. Once the pendant itself was free, he cupped it within both hands, closed his eyes and concentrated. There was a very faint hum in the air now, and the crimson light surrounding the pendant grew brighter and brighter until finally it flickered out completely, plunging the room back into near darkness. And Cor stepped back to rest against a counter, breathing heavily.

With a typical air of near arrogance she rolled her eyes, and lightly huffed out "Don't know who you think is afraid, but it isn't me." She did, however, stand utterly still, she didn't even blink at this point. Really, who knew when magic would go awry, right?

The red glow was coming close to unnerving her as it was now so close to her face. Holding her breath, she stared at Cor, lips pursed in a barely concealed grimace as that light feeling of static crept up her neck. It wasn't an unpleasant sensation, it was simply something she couldn't categorize. Being in the frame of mind she was already in certainly wasn't helping keep her paranoia from overwhelming her.


In response to his lack of proper reverence for the gravity of this situation; i.e his indecent wink, Raye's features scrunched up into a near comical display of her aggravation. "If..if you turn me into something detestable, I will do something horrible to you, Cor. Got it?" She drew in a shaky breath and returned to her statue-like state as the air was now humming and the red glow was brighter than ever. (w) "Oh gods..I really hope he doesn't turn me ugly." Yes, that was definitely a concern The General would have, alright.

Rayvinn was rescued from that assumed fate when the glow abruptly stopped as did the humming. "Oh thank the gods that is over!" She blinked rapidly to adjust her vision and took a step closer to Cor as he rested against the counter, laying a hand upon his arm. "What do you need?"

Rayvinn

Date: 2011-11-09 22:27 EST
He flashed her a quick, tired smile as he leaned further back, taking some of his weight off of his legs. His eyes had fallen closed once more and his breathing eventually began to slow. But as Raye touched his arm, one eye cracked open and he turned his one-eyed gaze over to her. "Hm? Just a moment to restore what was offered, is all. And possibly some water, if you're feeling helpful." He flashed her an insouciant grin before pushing his palms to the countertop, giving a light grunt, and hoisting himself up to sit upon it. Then he leaned back against the cupboards, letting out a happy sigh to be off his feet for the moment. "Mmm. Sorry, Imbuing the pendant took a bit out of me."

A reassuring smile was offered as she turned to get his glass of water. The glass was offered as she leaned against the counter. "It wasn't necessary to tax yourself this way for me," she chastised. She frowned slightly as she watched him, knowing it would do no good to say anything further. (s) "Just...promise," there was a spot on the counter that desperately needed her attention, so she focused upon it as she cleared her throat." "Promise me you will take care of yourself, Cor. Don't take unnecessary risks or do anything to endanger yourself, alright?" Pot calling the kettle black situation.

Cor accepted the water with a grateful, happy smile and took a long drink from the glass. He paused as she spoke. First simply watching her over the rim of his glass, then slowly lowering it to the counter as she continued. His brows had arched upward in curiosity at her request and he waited politely until she was finished to let out the soft laughter the bubbled in his chest. Finally, he stopped and shook his head from one side to the other. His tone was amused as he spoke next, his voice soft in the kitchen. "I will absolutely not promise you that." He shook his head again with a bemused snort before continuing. "That said, I'm not about to go jumping into a lake of lava or anything. Give me a little credit at keeping myself out of trou- well. At getting through trouble mostly in one piece." It was said as a reassuring joke, but there was more than a little truth to the sentiment.

"Stubborn jackass of a man." She half snorted. "I should have known better than to expect any sort of common sense out of you, I suppose. Could you not at least lie a little to put my poor mind at ease?" She couldn't stay irritated with him, that was a well known fact. Oh she might call him names, move out of his house, refuse to talk to him and make him kick down her door...but she couldn't really stay irritated.

A sigh of long suffering was given as she glanced back up at him. "If you get yourself killed, I will come back and dig you up just so I can mutilate your corpse and bury you again. So...you just remember that." Because that would be the only reason needed to not get oneself killed, of course. Moving to stand in front of him, she offered what she hoped was a light hearted smile. "Alright, I need to be on my way before you try to magic me into something grotesque. Also, if you see Reap, punch him in the nose for me and tell him I miss him." A small laugh was forced and she held onto that like a drowning man would a life preserver. She didn't do good-bye with grace.

Her threat had him grinning, and then he twisted his head to down the rest of the glass of water before setting it back down and sliding off of the counter to his feet. There was only a little wobble in his posture, but the weakness seemed to be past. He bobbed his head, still grinning. "Okay. I can promise to remember that. Me, don't die or you'll kill me more. Reap, punches. Got it." A nod. And then, before she could move away or say anything else, he leaned forward, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her fiercely tight. He pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth, then tilted his head up towards her ear, whispering. "Do whatever it is you need to do and make sure you come back, okay?" He leaned back a fraction of a space to flash her a quick smile, then reaffirmed the sentiment with another tight squeeze of his arms before letting her go and falling back against the counter. "I might just miss you if you're gone for too long. Just sayin'. It'd be way too quiet around here."

With a half startled gasp, not expecting Cor?s hug nor kiss, Raye simply froze in place for a moment. Lashes fluttered closed over suddenly sorrowful eyes as she heard his request. A simple, barely there nod was offered in reply and she had to swallow a few times to get past the lump of emotion suddenly in her throat. Truth be told, Raye honestly didn?t expect to come back. She didn?t expect to live through the next couple of days but she would never divulge this information to him; to do so would be a form of cowardice in her view, burdening him with this grim knowledge and her own fear.

Raye was less taken off guard by the second embrace and returned it just as fervently as he had given; even pressing her lips to the laugh lines that seemed permanently engraved (though not blemishing) by a life filled with laughter and smiles. When she was released, she wrapped her arms around her middle as if that action could ward off the lonely emptiness within that was growing to consume her at an alarming rate. Next, her emotions would simply shut down as they always did when she had a mission. They had to. This would be the most important and personal one of her life.

?Don?t miss me too much, Corlanthis. Life is for living, not mourning.? And with that cryptic last line, she turned and was simply... gone. The roar of her motorcycle disturbed the relative silence of the market district as she sped away; her heartbreak and the majority of her humanity left in the dust behind her.